The present invention relates generally to vehicle seats and, more particularly, to armrests for vehicle seats.
Passenger seats in vehicles often include armrests for the comfort of vehicle occupants. Typically, armrests are attached to a side portion of a vehicle seat back and may be configured to pivot between a raised position and a lowered position. In a raised position, an armrest typically is aligned vertically with the seat back; in a lowered position, an armrest typically extends horizontally outwardly from the seat back and may provide support for the arm of an occupant.
Armrests configured for pivotal movement can be attached to seats in various known ways. One known attachment method utilizes a bolt that is inserted through a bore in the armrest and is threadingly engaged with a seat frame. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,072 to Chancellor, Jr. Other known attachment methods may utilize numerous parts for movably attaching armrests to seat frames. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,209 to Bart et al. Unfortunately, conventional attachment methods may make attachment and/or removal of an armrest a difficult and time consuming process. Moreover, conventional attachment devices may require numerous parts which may lead to increased costs.
In view of the above discussion, a quick connect/disconnect apparatus for removably securing armrests to vehicle seats is provided. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the quick connect/disconnect apparatus includes a housing configured to be attached to an armrest frame. The housing is configured to receive a free end of a mounting pin protruding from the side portion of a seat (e.g., the side portion of a vehicle seat back). A retaining member is movably disposed within the housing and includes a base portion and a pair of spaced-apart, resilient arms which extend outwardly from the base portion. Each arm includes an intermediate portion and a free end. The intermediate portion of each arm is configured to engage a respective portion of a groove that extends circumferentially around at least a portion of the mounting pin when the retaining member is in a relaxed configuration.
A pair of spaced-apart, diverging surfaces are disposed within the housing. An actuator (e.g., a button) is slidably disposed within the housing and is movable so as to engage, and apply a force to, the retaining member base portion when depressed by a user. When the actuator applies a force to the retaining member base portion, the free end of each retaining member arm is caused to slide along a respective one of the diverging surfaces. This movement causes the intermediate portions of the retaining member arms to move away from each other so that they become disengaged from a circumferentially-extending groove in the mounting pin and such that the housing and armrest can be removed from the mounting pin.
Quick connect/disconnect apparatus according to embodiments of the present invention may offer several advantages over conventional devices for attaching armrests to vehicle seats. Installation and removal of armrests incorporating an apparatus according to the present invention can be performed quickly and easily, and without tools. Moreover, time and costs associated with initial installation of armrests may be reduced.